Lifeboat saves Christmas for Inishturk pensioner

Lifeboat saves Christmas for Inishturk pensioner


Clifden’s new lifeboat to the rescue

Anton McNulty

The very first callout of the new Clifden RNLI all-weather lifeboat ensured an elderly Inishturk man received medical treatment and was able to spend Christmas at home and not in hospital.
The elderly man, who is in his 90s, took ill two days before Christmas on December 23, and needed urgent and immediate medical attention. The were two options available: Send the Coast Guard helicopter to bring him to hospital, or receive treatment from local GP Dr CiarΡn MacLoughlin, who is based in Clifden.
The latter option was chosen and the all-weather lifeboat, based in Clifden on a trial period since August, was called into action for the first time to bring Dr MacLoughlin to the island.
As a result of the swift action of the crew, Dr MacLoughlin was able to stabilise the man’s health, which meant he could remain at home for Christmas and did not have to go to hospital.
Dr MacLoughlin told The Mayo News that without the lifeboat, he would have been unable to reach the island, as it was very dark, and the gentleman would have been forced to spend Christmas in hospital away from his family.
“The man needed a doctor that night. I knew what I had to do and only a doctor could do it. If I couldn’t get there no body on the island could do what had to be done. If an elderly person leaves the island for Christmas it creates a huge vacuum for the island and his family.
“There were two options available, one of which was to airlift him off the island where he would remain off for the Christmas. The only other option was to get there by boat, and to do that safely I had to go by the lifeboat. The man and his family were delighted he was able to stay on the island, and he is now recovering well at home,” Dr MacLoughlin explained.
The callout was made at 6pm on December 23 and Dr MacLoughlin and his crew returned to Clifden after 11pm. Dr MacLoughlin, the resident doctor for both Inishturk and Inishbofin, said the all-weather lifeboat was ‘invaluable’, providing a safe way of getting to the islands in an emergency situation, and that it would be a huge bonus for the island communities off the Connemara coast.
“I was very impressed with the new lifeboat and with the volunteer crew who brought me out to the island last night. We travelled there and back in complete darkness, and their actions ensured that I could administer care to my patient on scene and not have to move him,” he said.

Hopes for permanent boat
The all-weather lifeboat ‘Pride and Spirit’ has been stationed in Clifden since August and will be on trial for 12 months operating in conjunction with an existing inshore lifeboat service at the station. Following the trial the RNLI will make a decision on establishing a permanent all-weather lifeboat service.
The station currently has a crew of 40 and, bar the mechanic, they are all volunteers from the surrounding area. Before the boat’s arrival, the crew underwent an extensive period of preparation which included months of training locally and in the RNLI College in Poole in England.
John Brittain, the Clifden RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said he was pleased the lifeboats first callout had a successful outcome and the man was able to spend Christmas at home. He added the the lifeboat was needed in the area and was confident it will become a permanent fixture at the station.
“The lifeboat is absolutely needed and will serve the islanders with Inishbofin also nearby. Sometimes the helicopters are not available and they have to rely on the ferry to transfer sick people and they now have a third option. We have two inshore lifeboats which are faster but they have no cover, and if anything happened on a callout the crew are in difficulty. The lifeboat will ensure the safety of our crew and any passengers,” he said.